The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1887-03-17
WOMAN'S RIGHTS.
Especial Cor. STATE CHRONICLE. I
J.. D..

Especial Cor. STATE CHRoNICLE1
We have always had weakness for
woman, a creditable and elevating weak
ness-at least in our judgment; and hence
whenever we read of the chronic, periodic
and malOdOrouS agitation of her alleged
wrongs, we turn sadly from this chimera
of diSfranchisement with regret that so
much zeal and feryor should be wasted in
the pursuit of an ''ignis fatuus, pursuit
working double injury in that it diverts
the attention of the would be reformers
from substantial improvement in other
directions and at the same time brings
the cause of woman's advancement into
inevitable and severe discredit.
There are some rights of woman which
We would like to see ceaSeleSsly agitated
1 a RIGHT To THE FULL MORAL MARKET
VALUE OF HER WORK.-We put in that in
congruouS epithet moral" to fOreStall
the ready rejolnder that the market value
OF any commodity is just what it brings :;
whereas the fact is that a discount on sex,
as notorious as it is unjust, depreciates
woman's work below its value
Z. z. In a conversation with the head
of large and influential school we asked
why a lady had been substituted for a
gentleman in the faculty; the prompt re-
ply was: She does the same work, does it
better, and at about half the salary we
paid Prof. Y. Y. L.
Such instances could be multiplied in
definitely and they present the concrete
Injustice under which every woman de
pendent upon her eXertion must earn her
livelihood.
:. ANOTHER RIGHT Is THAT, WHICH EVERY
MARRIED WOMAN HAS, OF SUPPORT AT THE
HANDS OF HER HUSBAND.-We have in mind
at this writing great muscular pretext of
a man, with an intelligent, cultivated and
ambitious wife and several unusually
promising children; and yet this husband
and 1ather doubtless has not earned ten
cents IN as many months; his greatest
labor is the drawing of tobacco smoke
through very short pipe-stem, his pro-
foundest anxiety is to secure drink from
some tipping acquaintance.
What blessed thing it would be if
every man of this species, whose wife and
family We're straitened in means, were
Aired out by the government and his
wages paid TO his family. If, however,
the wife III such a case We're able to sup
port the husband and he willing to be a
burden upon her, then it should be or
dained that he wear always and every
where wOman's clothes. Such an enact
ment would create healthy activity in
mantua making.
Not long ago we read of a law in one of
those little pocket handkerchief principal
tiles of Europe which promised prophy-
lactlc for this disease of peryasiye and
universal worthlessness
Before marriage could be licensed both
parties had to receive from govern
mental board a certificate attesting for
the man on his part, ability to support a
family, on the woman's, capablity of man
aging comfortably the domestic concerns
OF household no person was considered
fnarrlageable without such certificate.
1t was added that this custom created
ambition among the youths and maidens,
making it a discredit to be without such
testimonial and thus led to industry and
diligence; so that the young people ire
spective of any immediate prospect or
purpose of matrimony were eager to Sc
cure the certificate which gave them re-
cognizei and respectable positions in the
world.
For the benefit of unmarried women we
might borrow an idea from Denmark; the
Danes, we learn, have a society peculiar
to themselves. 1t is known as ''The
Maiden Assurance Society," Its aim is to
provide for a clasS-single women of we'll
10 do families. 1t shelters and cares for
them, and furnishes them with ''pin-
money" Its methods are thus described: ::
As soon as girl-chid is born to him the
father enrolls her name in certain asso-
cjation and pays a certain sum, and there
after fixed sum to the society. When
she has reached the age of-we believe
twentyone, and is not married, she be-
comes entitled to a fixed income and to a
suite of apartments in a large building of
the association, with gardens and park
about it, inhabited by other young or
older ladies who have thus become mem
bers. If her father dies in her youth, and
she desires it, she has shelter in this
building, and at a fixed time her own in
come When she dies or marries, all this
right to income lapses, and the money
paid in SWells the endowment Of the asso-
citation.
We doubt not that woman's (natural
and proper lack-of aversion to matrimony
would cause a good many policies to lapse
and so secure ample endowment to the as
socation, and thus provide for the com
fort of those who preferred single bless
edness or from any cause fell unwilling
heirs to its privileges.
PAUL PROvEAU.